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Readers > Talk it Up! > Discussion guides > 2012 Oregon Reader's Choice Award Nominees > 11 Birthdays

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Discussion guide by Andrea Milano

Summary

Amanda and Leo have celebrated their birthdays together for 10 years. They might have continued to do so, if it weren’t for some unkind words, spoken by Leo, and overheard by Amanda at the 10th birthday party.

One year later, by the time of their eleventh birthday, they still haven’t spoken to each other. They have separate parties, which aren’t nearly as much fun as one big party. Amanda has such an awful day, that when she wakes up the next day, she is glad her birthday is over.

But everyone else in her family seems to think it is still her birthday. And when she gets to school, everyone else does too! It’s as if her birthday is being replayed. The longer it goes on, the more confused she gets—could she be stuck in some kind of time warp? The next morning it is the same thing, again. And the next day? Again, she wakes up to her 11th birthday. By day four Amanda knows she has to do something. Not surprisingly, so does Leo.

Booktalk

Have you ever wished that every day could be your birthday – birthday cake and ice cream, presents, friends, lots of attention – every day? Well guess what, it isn’t all that great to celebrate your birthday day in and day out. Especially when it is the first time you are celebrating your birthday without your BFF. You know what BFF stands for, right? (Best Friends Forever). Leo and Amanda were destined to be BFFs. They were born in the same hospital at exactly the same time. There was even a mysterious old woman at the hospital who told their mothers that Leo and Amanda must celebrate their birthdays together every year.

So what happened? Why aren’t they celebrating their 11th birthdays together? Well, at the 10th birthday party, someone said something that wasn’t very nice and from there on out, it’s been no BFF, no joint birthdays, no matter what.

Until Amanda wakes up the morning after her birthday, and the day after that, and the day after that, to find that she is reliving her birthday over and over again. On the fourth day she realizes that there is one other person reliving this day – her former BFF. Only by working together are the two of them going to get out of this mess.

267 pages, 4th grade and up

Discussion questions

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Is there one person who has been present at all of your birthdays?
  2. What one thing from today would you like to repeat every day for the next year?
  3. If you woke up and realized that you were reliving yesterday, would you be scared?
  4. What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?
  5. If you overheard your BFF saying something unkind about you, what would you do?
  6. Who is your favorite character in the book?
  7. Do you know anyone who shares the same birthday as you?

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Activities

Make birthday cards for your friends or design your ideal birthday party.

Snacks

Cupcakes or birthday cake, of course!